First appearance on Fox: Republican lawmakers want the U.S. to permanently cut funding to UNRWA, the U.N. agency that has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in aid aimed at helping Palestinians in the Gaza Strip but has come under fire for its ties to Hamas. A bill was proposed to ban it.
Representative Chris Smith, Republican of New Jersey, has introduced a bill to end U.S. funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, known as the “Suspension of Support for Five United Nations Relief and Works Agencies Act of 2024.” submitted. Near East.
The United States may not make any voluntary or involuntary contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (referred to in this Act as “UNRWA”), its successor entities, or its affiliates. “contributes to the regular budget of the United Nations for the support of UNRWA or any successor entity,” the bill states.
The Biden administration is sent billions Giving taxpayer dollars to UNRWA would reverse President Trump’s decision to cut funding to the organization. While the organization claims to be an effort to provide humanitarian aid, some critics say it is “effectively a branch of Hamas.”
UN urges countries to resume funding to UNRWA despite reports of employees taking part in October 7 massacre
L-Hamas extremists R-President Biden (Getty Images)
Connections with Hamas have come into the spotlight in recent weeks. Provided by Israel The Biden administration has submitted new documents containing information about how UN agency personnel aided or assisted in the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.
The Biden administration announced last week: temporarily stopped ‘Additional’ funding to UNRWA in response to this document. Germany, Italy, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands and Switzerland have also joined the boycott in response to the accusations, and several staff members have already been fired.
On Monday, White House National Security Press Secretary John Kirby said: called on the people It does not invalidate UNRWA’s entire humanitarian efforts.
“But UNRWA has 13,000 employees,” Kirby said. “There are 13,000 people in Gaza alone. As I said last week, let’s not criticize the good work of the entire government because of the potential bad behavior of a few here.”
Israeli Foreign Ministry demands UNRWA commissioner resign over suspicion of staff supporting Hamas
New Jersey Republican Rep. Chris Smith, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (Congressman Chris Smith Office)
UNRWA has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, even before the Hamas attacks, from critics who say it is not doing enough to prevent aid from falling into the hands of Hamas terrorists. UNRWA strongholds reportedly house Hamas activities and spread Hamas propaganda in schools.
united nations watch reported earlier this year UNRWA schools were said to be complicit in teaching children to hate Jews and glorify terrorism. UN Watch reported that UNRWA acknowledged that teachers had “accidentally” created and distributed inflammatory material, but pledged in 2021 to no longer distribute such material.
UNRWA Recognized in 2014He condemned Hamas missiles that were discovered twice in one week in one of the schools in the Gaza Strip.
“UNRWA strongly and unequivocally condemns the entity responsible for this gross violation of the inviolability of the facility under international law,” the group said at the time.
House of Commons committee launches investigation into UN agency over alleged ‘troublesome relationship’ with Hamas
UNRWA distributes flour to Palestinian refugees on November 22, 2023\ (Ahmad Hasabalah/Getty Images)
of The New York Post reported This week, around 10% of UNRWA staff were found to have ties to Hamas.
“The United Nations, and UNRWA in particular, is without a doubt the world’s greatest legitimator of anti-Semitism, including its most vicious and violent forms,” said Rep. Smith, chairman of the House Committee on Global Human Rights and International Organizations, on Fox News. told Digital. statement.
“UNRWA, which provides education on Jewish hatred through textbooks, curricula, summer camps and official media, contributed to the perversion we witnessed by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attacks.” Mr. Smith added.
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“We need a comprehensive, fact-based approach to UNRWA that halts all funding and conditions future funding on a complete reform and restructuring of UNRWA. It’s a conditioning thing.”
Smith plans to host a joint event Subcommittee hearing It was held at 2pm on Tuesday to “examine the mission and failures” of UNRWA.
“The heinous genocidal atrocities we have seen spilling out of Gaza since October 7 are anti-Semitic hate crimes, unchecked anti-Semitism encouraged and enabled by UNRWA. It’s a natural consequence of this,” Smith said.
Fox News Digital has contacted UNRWA. White House No one responded to a request for comment.
